My travelogue of a journey through 1000 bars in 1 year, and more, much more.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Desolation Row

I hit up the old neighborhood again today. Took the subway to 14th and then headed East on the North side of the street. I passed a few places that were closed so I will have to hit them another day.

63) Cellar

Interesting place on 14th between 1st and 2nd. The first thing I noticed were the three dogs running around the place. Two of them left with a customer but the third one must have lived there.

The place had a nice long bar but it was a bit sticky. There was a comfortable looking back room with a couple of tables. There was also a side enclave that had a sofa and a couple of easy chairs with two reading lamps and a tapestry featuring a few deer in a snowy wooded setting. In the front was another small enclave with a couple of small settees by a window.

There were a lot of unlit candles at one end of the bar so I imagine the place is quite festive at night when they are all lit.

I had a Newcastle Brown Ale

64) O'Hanlon's

Down the street, this is a typical Irish bar that has been around a long time. I have been in there many times because a friend of mine has an apartment just down the block. Always a decent crowd in here but not a whole lot to distinguish it. Six televisions all tuned to CNN.

I had a Guiness

65) Quigley's

At the corner I headed uptown and this place was on the northwest corner of 1st Avenue and 18th Street. It was a new smelling place and, in fact, it turned out the place was new. Had 6 televisions above the bar, a couple of nice big ones that were turned off. The ones that were on were showing pool, the world's strongest man competition and OTB.

There was a nice little eating area in the back and a small outside area with a couple of tables where you could duck out for a smoke if you wanted.

The overall look was a bit too blond for a place that didn't have ferns and the crowd seemed much older than the place should have, like they drifted in from somewhere else or were here and they built the place around them.

I had a Dewars and soda.

66) M.T. Armstrong's

This place was up a block and was a nice place with a large beer selection. The bar area was seperated from a line of tables against the windows where you could eat. There was a downstairs with dart boards and a pool table.

I passed up the house beer, M.T. Armstrong's lager for a Samuel Adam's Chocalate Bock. It was a good decision as the beer was excellent.

67) O'Donnell's Bar

Now this was indeed a seedy bar on 23rd and 1st, and one not to linger in, at least if you were me. The place smelled vaguely of urine and the guy next to me was nodding off at the bar. Next to him was a guy who was talking loudly to no one in particular about who knows what. The guy on the other side of me was pleasant enough for being half in the bag. He was complaining about the weather because he had to go to his outdoor construction job soon. I certainly hope it didn't involve heavy machinery.

I dumped down a Dewars and soda and headed out.

68) McSwiggans

On 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue, this was a nice bar with a pool table, darts, video games, the usual.

I had a Dewars and Soda

69) McCarty's

This place was a block over and down, on 2nd Avenue and 20th Street. Just two people in there besides me, and one looked to be nodding off. The other guy was smoking furiously and telling the bartender how he had to quit. Fat chance of that, seeing as how it is illegal to smoke in bars in New York now and he couldn't even make it to the door to light up. This was another kind of small and typical Irish bar that abounds in New York.

70) Posto

My final stop on 2nd Avenue and 18th Street. Not really a bar as much as a pizza place but they did have what looked to be a bar in front with some stools so in I went.

I had a glass of Chianti (it was served in a water glass) and called it a day.